Inside the $30 Billion Obsession Among the Ultra-Wealthy : A Race to Live Longer
The pursuit of an extended life has become a new asset class for those who already own the jets, the vineyards, and the art collections. The only precious resource left to conquer, it seems, is time.
If you want to know what the latest obsession is these days among the ultra-wealthy, listen in at dinner.
Once it was crypto, then came AI and psychedelics, now it’s longevity all the time. The talk is of biomarkers, NAD+ levels, and methylation clocks, of senolytics and stem cells. Guests compare blood panels like wine lists, and the most important name to drop is no longer your banker or contact at Rolex but your longevity physician. For those just arriving at the conversation, the new science can sound like science fiction—but it’s fast becoming the lingua franca of money.
The field has its own vocabulary—epigenetic reprogramming, which aims to reset cellular clocks; cellular senescence clearance, the removal of “zombie” cells that clog our systems as we age; precision gene therapies, designed to personalise interventions at the level of DNA—that sounds equal parts Brave New World and Wall Street pitch deck. But make no mistake: this is no longer a niche pursuit. The sector is already worth an estimated $30 billion globally and projected to surpass $120 billion within the decade, having attracted billions in investment from the likes of Altos Labs, Juvenescence and Google-backed Calico. Tech titans and old-money families alike are staking claims on the possibility of an extra decade or two. It’s a space where venture funds court Nobel laureates, hedge funds bankroll gene-therapy moonshots, and even wellness festivals in Australia draw rock-star scientists to the stage.
The Poster Child and the Pitch
David Sinclair, the Sydney-born Harvard geneticist who has become something of a poster child for the field, is quick to underline the stakes. “We’re not just talking about lifespan, we’re talking about health span,” he tells Robb Report. “Extending the number of years people live well—without frailty, without disease—isn’t just a medical breakthrough. It’s a social and economic one.” Sinclair, whose research ranges from NAD boosters to epigenetic age-reversal therapies, has calculated that adding a single year of healthy life to the US population, for example, could be worth $38 trillion in economic benefit—fewer years of costly aged care, less burden on hospitals, more years of productivity and compounding returns. In other words, the dividends of health are financial as well as personal. “That’s why governments and investors are paying attention,” he says.
Sinclair has become a fixture on the global circuit, drawing crowds that rival TED or Davos. As Radek Sali, the Australian entrepreneur behind the new Wanderlust Wellspring longevity festival taking place on the Gold Coast this October, where Sinclair is the keynote speaker, puts it: “Wellness has moved into the realm of entertainment.” At Wellspring, platinum-tier guests pay up to nearly $2,000 for the privilege of hearing scientists and investors share the stage over a weekend like headliners at Coachella.
Investing in Time
And then there are the sideshows. Bryan Johnson, the tech mogul turned human guinea pig, makes headlines with his open-source, organ-by-organ data tracking—his infamous “penis readings” have become cocktail-party fodder. While many dismiss him as a parody of the field, his multimillion-dollar project Blueprint has nevertheless made longevity impossible to ignore in the mainstream.
For the uninitiated, the science of longevity today is no longer about vitamin salesmen or fringe dietary regimes. This is the new frontier—one where biology is not just observed but engineered, and where investors smell opportunity on par with space travel. It’s little wonder that Altos Labs has raised billions to chase cellular rejuvenation, or that Juvenescence has secured more than $400 million to fast-track therapies. What was once the realm of eccentric tinkerers now attracts sovereign wealth funds.
“This body takes me to meetings, earns me money—why not invest time and money into it?”
The appeal to the One Percent is obvious. Longevity is a natural extension of portfolio thinking: diversify your assets, hedge your risks, and above all, maximise return on investment. Except in this case, the returns are measured in years of health, energy and cognition. As Andrew Banks, a Sydney-based entrepreneur and early investor in Juvenescence, explains: “This body takes me to meetings, earns me money—why not invest time and money into it?” His Point Piper home teems with contraptions—a Reoxy breathing machine, hydrogen therapy, red-light sauna, and he spends a few hours a day on maintenance, as if his body were a private equity stake.
Banks, like others in his cohort, is baffled that more wealthy men haven’t followed suit. “Entrepreneurs pride themselves on divergent thinking,” he says. “They expand, dream and create businesses with it. But when it comes to their bodies, they’re convergent—unimaginative. The lack of curiosity is astonishing to me.”
Medicine 3.0 and the New Rituals
Steve Grace, a Sydney-based entrepreneur and the proprietor of exclusive private networking club The Pillars, which is opening a longevity program, thinks there is a reckoning coming for those who do not take matters into their own hands. “As someone who has run a few recruitment businesses,” he says, “I can tell you that if you’re a man or woman in your 50s and working as an employee, even in a really good position, it’s time to get worried about job security and being aged out of the workforce. You have to make yourself as vital as possible and become the best version of yourself, or you’re toast.”
What was once fringe has now become a cultural necessity for those who can afford anything, with science finally catching up to ambition. Sinclair’s lab at Harvard recently published a study on the reversibility of cellular ageing—restoring vision in blind mice and setting the stage for human trials in conditions like glaucoma. In Boston, his company Life Biosciences will begin treating patients with blindness in a Phase I trial using partial cellular reprogramming early next year. “This isn’t science fiction anymore,” Sinclair says. “We’re at the point where we can reprogram cells, turn back their biological clocks, and restore function.”
Meanwhile, practitioners like Dr. Adam Brown of the Longevity Institute in the Sydney suburb of Double Bay are reinventing diagnostics. His “assessment menu” has been compared—only half-jokingly—to a Michelin Guide for medical testing: full-body MRI scans, continuous glucose monitors, polygenic risk scores. “What we do is proactive, not reactive,” he says. “Correct deficiencies first, then optimise health. That’s how you get peak performance in the short term and resilience in the long term.” Brown frames longevity in terms that would resonate with any investor: “There’s a short-term ROI—fixing glucose or sleep issues so you perform better tomorrow. And there’s a long-term ROI—functioning in your 70s as you would in your 40s. That’s extending your career, your income potential and your independence.”
“Once upon a time, male vanity meant injectables, veneers and a tan. Today, it’s VO2 max scores and continuous glucose monitor readouts.”
Peter Attia, the Canadian-American physician and podcast host who has helped popularise the concept of “Medicine 3.0”, echoes this emphasis. Medicine 1.0, according to him, was about surviving infections. Medicine 2.0 was about treating chronic disease. Medicine 3.0 is about staying ahead of decline: measuring, monitoring and intervening early. “The goal is not just to avoid disease but to lengthen health span,” Attia has said.
For those already converted, longevity is less about lab science than daily rituals. Sydney-based Chief Brabon, who trains CEOs like athletes, says: “These men are like Formula One cars—you don’t wait until the tyres are bald before swapping them. You keep everything tuned, precise, optimised.”
That tuning now involves more gadgets than ever: hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cryotherapy, sauna/cold-plunge circuits, peptide stacks, nootropics. And yes, a glut of supplements, some with evidence, others little more than wishful thinking. Once upon a time, male vanity meant injectables, veneers and a tan. Today, it’s VO2 max scores and continuous glucose monitor readouts. “Health is the new flex,” as Steve Grace quipped, glancing at his wrist-worn biometric tracker.
The New Flex: Health as the Ultimate Luxury
Still, there is plenty of scepticism. Some therapies are unproven, others prohibitively expensive. And there is the unavoidable fact that many leading scientists, including Sinclair, have stakes in companies producing supplements and therapeutics, raising eyebrows about conflicts of interest. “The difference,” Sinclair insists, “is whether it’s backed by peer-reviewed science and measurable biomarkers. If it can’t be quantified, it’s marketing, not medicine.”
Then there are the contradictions. It promises democratisation while often priced like a private club. It champions science but thrives on hype. It seeks to extend health span but risks deepening class divides. “Only if we let it,” Sinclair says when asked if longevity risks becoming the preserve of the wealthy. “Like antibiotics or aspirin, these advances should become widely available and affordable once they scale.” Sali agrees, but from another angle: “Biohacking doesn’t have to be expensive,” he says. “The blue zones prove that—community, diet, movement, purpose. Those are free. Wellspring is about making that knowledge accessible.”
And yet, for all its shortcomings, the movement is here to stay. Investment continues to pour in. Technology—like senolytic drugs that clear aged cells or AI-driven platforms that predict individual disease risk years in advance—is moving from speculation to clinical trial. Scientists are being recast as influencers. And the wealthy, always in search of the next advantage, have found in longevity a pursuit as old as alchemy, yet dressed in the language of venture capital. The truth is that health has always been an asset. What’s new is that it’s now being traded, optimised and measured like one.
In the end, longevity is less about a moonshot than about curiosity. Banks, Sali, Sinclair, Attia are all, in their own way, betting on time. Perhaps the most radical idea is also the simplest: that the best-performing asset in any portfolio is the body itself. Unlike Bitcoin, it carries you to meetings. Unlike art, it cannot be stored in a vault. Unlike real estate, it is non-transferable.
The new calculus of longevity is the recognition that the ultimate luxury is not wealth or status, but a few more decades of clear thought, strong bones and good company—and the ability to make money off it. Everything else, as one investor put it, is just a rounding error.
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Omega Just Unveiled 9 Watches in Its New Constellation Observatory Collection
The line-up shows up a bevy of metals and colours, too, as well as two new calibres.
Omega’s latest watch is in a universe of its own.
The Swiss watchmaker just unveiled its new Constellation Observatory Collection today, the next step in its Constellation lineage and the first two-hand hour and minute timepieces to ever earn Master Chronometer certification. And if you were paying attention to any of the dazzling watches spotted at the Oscars this year, you would’ve caught a glimpse of the new line already: Sinners star Delroy Lindo rocked one of the models on the Academy Awards red carpet, giving us a pre-release preview of the collection.
Developed at Omega’s new Laboratoire de Précision (its chronometer testing lab open to all brands), the collection houses a set of nine 39.4 mm watches. The watches underwent 25 days of scrutiny there, analysed via a new acoustic testing method that recorded every sound emitted from the timepiece to track irregularities, temperature sensitivities, and more in the name of all things precision. (Details such as water resistance and power reserve are also thoroughly examined.) This meticulous process is all in the name of snagging that Master Chronometer label, meaning that the timepiece is highly accurate and surpasses the threshold for ultra-high performance. The Constellation Observatory Collection has now changed the game, though, thanks to its lack of a seconds hand.
“Until now, precision certification has required a seconds hand,” Raynald Aeschlimann, president and CEO of OMEGA, said in a press statement. “The development of a new acoustic testing methodology has made that requirement obsolete. It is this breakthrough that has enabled us to present the Constellation Observatory, the first two-hand watch to achieve Master Chronometer certification.”
In addition to notching its place in history, the collection also debuted a new pair of movements: the Calibre 8915 and the Calibre 8914, each perched on a skeletonised rotor base. The former’s Grand Luxe iteration will appear on the 950 Platinum-Gold model in the collection, which offers up that base in 18-karat Sedna Gold alongside a Constellation medallion in 18-karat white gold with an Observatory dome done in white opal enamel surrounded by stars. The second Calibre 8915, the Luxe, will find its home on the other precious-metal models in the line, either made with the brand’s 18-karat Sedna, Moonshine, or Canopus gold seen across the case, the hand-guilloché dial, and, of course, the movement itself. (Lindo chose to rock the Moonshine Gold on Moonshine Gold iteration, priced at approximately $86,000, for Sinners‘s big night at the Oscars.) As for the Calibre 8914, it can be found in the collection’s four steel models.
Each model is a callback to myriad design features on past Omega models. That two-hand dial, for one, comes from the 1948 Centenary (the brand’s first chronometer-certified automatic wristwatch), while the pie-pan dial (seen in various blue, green, and golden hues throughout the line) and that Constellation medallion caseback both appear on watches from 1952. The star adorning the space above 6 o’clock also harks back to 1950s timepieces from Omega. And to finish off the look, you can opt for alligator straps in a variety of colours, or perhaps a gold iteration to match the precious-metal models; the brick-like pattern on the 18-karat Moonshine bracelet was also inspired by Omega watches from the ’50s.
We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for any other Constellation Observatory timepieces (or any other unreleased models from the brand) at the rest of the star-studded events headed our way this year—perhaps the Met Gala?
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Best Combustion Supercar: Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider
A modern classic in the making, combining naturally aspirated power with elegant restraint to deliver performance that feels as refined as it is visceral.
In a year when carmakers of all persuasions sheepishly extended hyperbolic electric targets, it’s fitting that the monastic puritans of Maranello—who, lest we forget, won’t finally yield to the sin of battery power until October with the Elettrica—opted to make combustion their major power play.
As an uncertain future of AI omnipresence barrels towards us, the 12Cilindri—an analogue, open-topped tribute to Ferrari’s late-’60s/early-’70s grand tourer, the Daytona—represents a defiant fade into the past, a pause for breath, a fleeting return to The Good Times when nascent technology provoked excitement rather than existential dread.
Guiding this automotive nostalgia trip is, as the nomenclature suggests, a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine, generating an unceasing wave of power as it sears towards the 9,500 rpm redline with relative nonchalance. That’s because the 12Cilindri is not a mouth-foaming attack-dog. It scales performance heights with the refinement of the finest Italian works of art; its “Bumpy Road” mode facilitates comfy al fresco GT cruising, and even the imperious powerplant is mannerly at most speeds.
For all the yesteryear romance, progressive technologies and engineering, such as a world-class 8-speed transmission, advanced electronic aids and independent four-wheel steering, are baked into the deal. The 12Cilindri’s clean, stark design somehow toggles between retro and modern; and while vaguely polarising, one can’t ignore its magnetic road presence.
In terms of aesthetics, Ferrari describes the 12Cilindri as being “ready for space”; in many ways, a fantasy vehicle that transports users to another dimension is probably what the world needs right now.
The Numbers
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Power: 610kW
Torque: 678 Nm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100 km/h: 2.95 seconds
Top speed: 340 km/h
Price: From $886,800
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Inside Loro Piana’s First Sydney Boutique
A first Australian address brings the Italian house’s textile-led approach to retail full circle.
On the fourth floor of Westfield Sydney, near the Castlereagh and Market Street entrance—in the space formerly occupied by Chanel—Loro Piana has opened its first Australian boutique. It is a significant address change for that corner of the mall, and a meaningful one for the Italian house, which has sourced Australian merino wool for decades but until now had no retail presence here.
The facade is understated—creamy, tactile, more about texture than theatre. Inside, the store unfolds across a single, expansive level divided into distinct men’s and women’s wings. The separation is clear without being heavy-handed: womenswear leads from soft accessories and leather goods into ready-to-wear, while menswear occupies its own assured territory, with tailoring and outerwear given proper breathing room. Footwear (supple loafers, luxurious slides, pared-back sneakers) is particularly strong, and the sunglasses are a quiet standout: mineral-toned frames with a disciplined elegance that feels entirely of the house.
That same restraint carries into the interiors, where the surfaces do much of the talking. Walls are wrapped in the company’s own linen and cashmere; carpets are custom, dense underfoot, softening the acoustics and the pace. Oak and carabottino wood add warmth without fuss; marble accents introduce a cool counterpoint. The effect is a composed space calibrated around material, proportion and restraint.
The Spring 2026 collection now in store underscores that sensibility. Silhouettes are elongated and fluid; cashmere, silk and featherweight merino move in sandy neutrals, creams and muddied earth tones, with flashes of marigold and pale turquoise breaking the calm. Tailoring is softly structured and projects confidence without aggression. Leather goods arrive in buttery skins that feel almost pre-lived, as though time has already worked its magic.
What distinguishes Loro Piana, particularly in a market that has grown noisier by the season, is its refusal to perform luxury in an obvious register. There are no oversized insignias telegraphing allegiance. Instead, the status is encoded in fibre count, in hand-feel, in how a coat hangs from the shoulder. It assumes the wearer knows and, crucially, does not need to announce it.
Sydney’s luxury landscape has matured in recent years; global houses no longer test the waters but commit to them. Yet Loro Piana’s arrival feels different. It is not trend-driven expansion but material logic. For a country whose sheep stations have long contributed to the house’s fabric story, this boutique reads almost as a thank-you note written in cashmere.
Photography: Courtesy of Loro Piana.
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Field Guide
From nubby tweeds to supple shearlings, the season’s most exciting menswear is as richly textured as the forests, mountain and lakes surrounding Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace.
Above: Zegna wool and cashmere coat, price upon request; Caruso wool-flannel jacket, $2,615; Tod’s wool and silk turtleneck, price upon request; Dolce & Gabbana wool-tweed trousers, price upon request; Brunello Cucinelli calfskin belt, $1,315; Paul Smith sheepskin gloves, $420.
Above: Caruso wool overcoat, $3,420; Boglioli wool-flannel jacket, $2,305, wool and cashmere sweater, $1,125, and wool-flannel trousers, $1,005; Tod’s calfskin belt, $1,025; Zegna buffalo-leather moccasins, $2,005.
Above: Massimo Alba wool-tweed jacket, $2,315; Moncler Polartec turtleneck, $835; Tod’s suede backpack, $5,230; Alonpi cashmere blanket, $2,805.
Above: Prada suede and shearling coat, $16,705, wool sweater, $3,325, and wool trousers, $3,045.
Above: Loro Piana dark-camel Rain System cashmere jacket, $8,765, greige Rain System cashmere vest, $7,055, greige cashmere crewneck, $4,635, and brown wool trousers, $2,565; Brunello Cucinelli saddle-brown calfskin boots, $2,330.
Above: Aspesi wool and cashmere field shirt, $1,260; Sacai wool trousers, $1,190; Brioni wool and cashmere tie, $420; Loro Piana x Le Chameau rubber boots, $2,240; Paul Smith sheepskin gloves, $420; Alonpi cashmere blanket, $2,805.
Above: Tod’s wool mockneck sweater, $2,615; AMI viscose shirt, $625; Ralph Lauren Purple Label wool-twill trousers, $1,125; Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Ref. 5960P watch, $68,000, available at Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, Gstaad Palace; Zegna acetate and metal sunglasses, $645.
Above: Hermès shearling jacket, $33,425, calfskin overshirt, $15,010, cashmere and silk turtleneck, $3,435, and wool-gabardine trousers, $1,630; Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 watch, $21,950.
Above: Ralph Lauren Purple Label brown wool-twill sport coat, $4,245, and trousers, $1,125, cream cotton shirt, $845, and brown wool-flannel tie, $335.
Above: Louis Vuitton wool coat and wool trousers, prices upon request; Aspesi wool and cashmere sweater, $625.
Above: Brunello Cucinelli alpaca, virgin-wool and cashmere cardigan, $7,795, silk and cotton jersey shirt, $1,630, cotton and virgin-wool trousers, $2,270, and calfskin belt, $1,320; Canali cashmere and silk blazer, $5,380; Brioni wool and cashmere tie, $420.
Above: Moncler cream, brown and black mélange carded-wool sweater, $2,030, and brown ski trousers in 2L tech corduroy with RECCO reflector system, $2,765; Chopard L.U.C Quattro Mark IV watch, $57,295.
Model: Oriol Elcacho Miro
Grooming: Cristina Crosarastyle
Editor: Naomi Rougeau
Market and sittings editor: Simone Fantuzzi
Photo director: Irene Opezzo
Photo assistant: Ead Gjergji
Production: Monica Poli/
Assistant: Lorenzo Borboni
Casting: Bronson Vajda
Location: Special thanks to Gstaad Palace
Coldfocus Production
Photographed by Eduardo Miera
Styled by Alex Badia
This article appears in the Autumn issue 2026 of Robb Report Australia New-Zealand. Click here to subscribe.
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The Best Under-the-Radar Wineries in Australia
From Tasmania to Margaret River, these sommelier-approved cellar doors reward those willing to venture beyond the usual маршруits.
In wine, as in travel, the most rewarding experiences are rarely found by following the crowd. They require curiosity, a little effort, and more often than not, the right recommendation.
As luxury travel continues its shift from spectacle to substance, many of Australia’s most compelling cellar doors remain largely undiscovered—known chiefly to sommeliers, bar managers and restaurateurs whose reputations hinge on what makes it into your glass. Ask them which wineries they’d drive past the big names to visit, the producers they seek out for themselves, the bottles they champion without fanfare, and a different map of Australian wineries emerges.
The following vineyards represent the new vanguard of homespun viniculture; the places worth planning a journey around; the cellar doors that justify a deliberate detour.
Stargazer Wines, Tasmania
When asked where he would go if he had just a single recommendation to give, Al Robertson— owner of Hobart’s legendary pocket-sized wine bar Sonny—doesn’t hesitate. “One word,” he says. “Stargazer.”
Run by Samantha Connew, one of the most respected and hard-working winemakers in the country, Stargazer has quietly become one of Tasmania’s most compelling small-batch producers, crafting finely tuned wines that emphasise purity, texture and a strong sense of place. “She makes gorgeous wines,” Robertson adds. “The riesling in particular—limey, mineral and razor-sharp—is perfect with local goat’s curd or seafood.”
There’s also the Rada red, a cult favourite at Sonny. Served lightly chilled, it’s a true sommelier’s wine—bright, savoury and surprisingly versatile, especially with tomato-heavy pasta or dishes rich with cheese.
Opened in late 2025, Stargazer’s bookings-only cellar door is a short 30-minute drive from central Hobart, tucked into the idyllic Coal River Valley, not far from award-winning Tassie icons Pooley and Tolpuddle. Tastings are deliberately intimate—capped at around 12 guests—unfolding beneath vast skies and among rows of chardonnay and pinot noir, the landscape proving as memorable as the wine in your glass.
The region’s accommodation is as compelling as its wine. While the capital and surrounds brim with beautifully curated stays, few rival Saffire Freycinet—the east coast’s all-inclusive masterpiece, consistently crowned among the world’s finest hotels. Perched above spectacular Wineglass Bay, its immersive, nature-led experiences—from private plunge pools to bespoke foraging dinners and oyster-inspired spa rituals—make the two-and-half-hour drive feel entirely worthwhile.
“Tastings are deliberately intimate, unfolding beneath vast skies… the landscape proving as memorable as the wine in your glass.”
Glenarty Road, Margaret River, Western Australia
It’s impossible to talk about Western Australian wine without mentioning Margaret River—but even within this celebrated region, there are still places that reward those willing to go a little further.
“You’ve got to visit Glenarty Road,” urges Samuel Cocks, bar manager at Sydney’s world-renowned Saint Peter. Their Wildlings Savagnin is the “standout” wine he keeps coming back to, a variety rarely seen in Australia, let alone Margaret River. Textural, savoury and quietly complex, it’s a reminder that this popular region still has room to surprise.
Set on a working farm, Glenarty Road feels deeply connected to its surroundings. Sheep, pigs, cattle and sprawling vegetable gardens all feed into an experience that’s as much about food as it is wine. “Some of the best food I’ve had in WA is served here,” Cocks says, much of it sourced directly from the property. He’s not alone. WA food critics have consistently ranked it among Margaret River’s strongest dining experiences.
Beyond the usual cellar-door format, “Vino in the Vines” unfolds as a guided walk through the vineyard, with up to 10 wines matched to seasonal farm produce, house-made charcuterie and freshly baked bread. It’s immersive, generous and thoughtfully paced; closer to a curated gastronomic experience than a casual tasting.
Located further south along the coast, away from the Yallingup bustle, Glenarty Road demands a longer drive, but it’s one serious food-and-wine travellers deem essential. On the return, retreat to Cape Lodge—Margaret River’s grande dame of luxury digs—a lakeside estate of manicured gardens, private suites and a dining room that has long set the regional standard.
For those wanting to stay closer to Perth, Swan Valley endures as a local staple. Compact, historic, yet quietly evolving, Cocks describes it as, “Probably one of Australia’s hottest regions.” One local pearl is Vino Volta, an experimental, modern producer focusing on Swan Valley hero varietals like chenin blanc and grenache. Its sparkling wines, easy-drinking reds and whites, and decadent fortified verdelho have earned a loyal following among Aussie sommeliers.
Krinklewood Estate, Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Just over two hours north of Sydney, in the Broke Fordwich sub-region of the Hunter Valley, Krinklewood offers one of the region’s most transportive cellar-door experiences. Family-owned and farmed organically and biodynamically for decades—long before it became a marketing hook—the estate feels worlds away from the busier Pokolbin circuit. Its Provençal-inspired gardens, sun-drenched courtyard, olive groves, fountains and roaming peacocks create an atmosphere that encourages indulgent lingering.
The wines are elegant and restrained: verdelho, semillon, chardonnay and shiraz, all made with a light touch. A trattoria-style kitchen on site turns out simple seasonal plates and cheese boards, designed to complement rather than compete with the wines.
Make a night of it in one of the estate’s Scandi-inspired lodges—minimalist, timber-clad, with outdoor baths under open skies—or check into Tower Lodge in Pokolbin, among the Hunter’s most exclusive retreats. Dinner is best taken at Muse, a two-hatted stalwart that has long anchored the area’s fine-dining scene.
Nearby, Running Horse Wines is worth a stop for something altogether more idiosyncratic. Headed up by former jockey Dave Fromberg, the cellar door is unique in every sense of the word. Rustic and striking, it’s built from six elevated shipping containers overlooking the vineyard. Tastings here are informal, personal and unhurried—more conversation than ceremony—with Fromberg himself often pouring and storytelling in equal measure. The glass bench-top doubles as a showcase, lit from below so that the colours of Dave’s wines—especially the deep, layered tones of his aged shiraz—can be fully admired.
Bekkers Wine, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Among serious drinkers, Bekkers has achieved near-mythic status. The tiny, family-run label is the work of respected viticulturist Toby Bekkers and his French-trained winemaker wife Emmanuelle. Together, they focus on refined, fine-wine expressions of grenache and syrah—deliberately resisting the heavier, more obvious styles McLaren Vale is often known for.
Production is ultra-small, often just a few hundred to around a thousand cases a year, with most bottles snapped up via allocation lists or poured at a handful of top-tier restaurants. That makes a visit to their appointment-only cellar door a rare opportunity to experience the wines at the source, guided by the people who make them.
Round out your SA trip with a night at The Louise, located north in the Barossa—a vineyard-encircled retreat that has quietly become one of Australia’s most enduring luxury addresses.
“Provençal-inspired gardens, sun-drenched courtyard, fountains and roaming peacocks create an atmosphere that encourages indulgent lingering.”
Wild Dog Winery & Entropy, Gippsland, Victoria
Two hours east of Melbourne, the landscape begins to shift. The air cools, the roads narrow, the vineyards are fewer, and more scattered. Gippsland has long existed at the periphery of Victoria’s wine consciousness, but those paying attention know something is changing.
“The Wild Dog Winery just south of Warragul gets my vote,” says Dave Verheul, owner of Melbourne’s Embla and cult vermouth label Saison—a figure whose palate has helped shape the city’s modern wine scene. “It’s home to winemakers like William Downie and Patrick Sullivan, but what Ryan Ponsford is making under the Entropy label is very, very special.”
Set high in the hills, Wild Dog Winery is less a single estate than a quiet epicentre for some of the country’s most thoughtful winemaking. Among them, Ponsford’s Entropy Wines stands apart. His 2024 cabernet is elegant, restrained and evocative of place in a way that feels both unmistakably Australian and entirely its own. Tastings unspool without theatre, the focus squarely on the wine and the landscape that shaped it. “The added bonus,” Verheul notes, “is being able to dine at Hogget Kitchen, one of regional Victoria’s best restaurants.”
For those willing to venture beyond the familiar, Gippsland offers the rare pleasure of discovery in real time, a dominion whose best bottles are still shared more often by word of mouth than by map. Indeed, the most memorable Australian wine experiences share a common thread: they reward the curious over the merely well-travelled. Because in the end, the best wine journeys rarely follow the most direct route. And the memories—the flavours, the landscapes, the stories—are all the richer for it.
This article appears in the Autumn issue 2026 of Robb Report Australia New-Zealand. Click here to subscribe.
